Essay: Constructions Glorifying Past Slaveowners in the Context of BLM

This essay examines the debate surrounding constructions that glorify past slave owners in the UK, particularly in light of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. It explores issues such as decolonizing the curriculum, the backgrounds of staff and students, and historical issues related to universities' founding and funding. The essay discusses the arguments for and against removing or adapting statues and other constructions, considering their historical significance, the impact of BLM protests, and the need for inclusivity and diversity. It delves into specific cases, such as the Rhodes Must Fall campaign, and suggests potential solutions, including adapting existing structures to provide full historical context and promoting anti-racist policies within universities. The essay concludes that removing statues is not the solution, and that they should be adapted in a way that promotes equality and avoids racism.

CONSTRUCTIONS
GLORIFYING PAST
SLAVEOWNERS

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY- ESSAY...................................................................................................................3
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
Constructions glorifying past slave – owners, responsible for some of the crimes in the
history. It has been seen that there are some issues such as, decolonising the curriculum,
background of staff and students, as well as historical issues relating to their founding and
funding. In the essay background of staff and students is being taken which is considered as an
issue. In UK students and teachers are being provided education related to how they have to
behave with people. There should be no discrimination among people on the basis of colour,
gender, religion and any other basis thus each students have equal right to get educated
(Chalmers, Mowat and Chapman, 2018). As given in the case a campaign was organised at
Cambridge College in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests. In the college campaign was
started in 2015 for graduating students and teachers, which includes description of background of
staff and students.
MAIN BODY- ESSAY
The aim of campaign was to educate people of UK that they should behave properly with
everyone. A spokesperson for Oriel College in a statement said that awareness programs should
be organised in Britain and around the world. Students of South Africa inspire from the action
taken by UK people and they also take action against background of staff and students. So, in
2016 after campaign organised, curriculum of the university needs to be changed to reflect
diversity and to support for BAME student and staff. As when people are taking admission in
universities, proper details should be taken and their background should be checked. According
to a professor of African politics at the University of Oxford said that, there must be substantial
shift in position because the amount of pressure on Oriel College from different constituencies
has been a greater this time (Desai, 2017).
According to the professor, universities are expected to adopt anti – racist policies in their
recruitment so at the time of selecting people their background can be checked and in future
there will be no problem. Policies will help in better recruitment and treatment of staff and
students will develop the curriculum of what is taught to show full history of colonial violence. If
proper rules ad regulations will be followed in the company then there will be no problem in the
future and no such situation will occur. According to Robert gildea, professor of modern history
at the university of Oxford, strict actions should be taken against this issue (Malone and et.al.,
2020).

It is necessary to educate people that there should be no discrimination among people and
all should be given equal treatment. The background of staff and students should be checked so
that there will be no issue in future. Some people were in favour of this issue and support the
University for taking action to find solution for the problem whereas some people were in
against as according to them it is not good. The members of university should take strict steps
and they must check the background of staff before recruiting them. When they are recruiting or
selecting any person for the university they should ask them about their background and gather
necessary information. It is essential to collect proper information of staff so that in the future
there will be no problem. This is a serious issue in UK as day by day this issue is being
increasing and now it is important to take necessary steps for the safety of people of UK or
students studying in the universities.
The members of the college must also check the details of students and collect necessary
information from them, so all the staff members and students will be safe in the college and they
can focus on their studies and can get good opportunities in future. There are many other issues
that are faced by the university and they have to take action so that it does not affect career of
students as well as of staff members (Mercer-Mapstone, Islam and Reid, 2021). For the safety of
students senior authority of college should take essential decisions and make policies for the
benefit of students. As in the given article it was described that different professors are having
different views regarding this topic. So, universities should consider this issue seriously and
make policies according to that. They must make the rule that no one will be allowed to take
admission without giving their details or information that is required. If strict action will be taken
by the college then this issue can be solved and students will be safe. Students should also be
aware and campaigns should be arranged to educate or provide relevant information to people of
UK so that there will be no problem in the future. Therefore, the key issue is Rhodes Legacy
and the way it can improve attendance and access of Black, Asian and minority ethnic students
that are undergraduate and graduate with an motivate to promote diversity.
Removal of statutes was another issue as despite of wishes of protesters, Oriel College
Oxford has decided not to remove the statue of racist imperial statesman. As per point of view of
Rhodes removing memorial figure may not be good options as they are ideal bastion of human
project or people that have make some positive contribution to the world. Furthermore in 2019,
student journalist write that Oxford statue of Rhodes “ is proof of absurd distortion and

glorification of imperial activity.” So, if these statues will pull down then we have to rewrite a
past to know about the facts and figure. Moreover, not just rewriting related to slave trade and
colonialism but our own flawed remembrance of exploitative figure of British History. Likewise
Colston statue is one of the statue which acts as living proof of willingness to produce and
reproduce the suffering faced by human (NIKITOROWICZ, 2017). Therefore, if such statue or
momentums are succeeded their critical treatment will be provided in textbooks, schools as well
as in museums.
The third major issue as per the article is that destruction of statues and other edifices
with an movement to rewrite history where there is less racism and equal opportunities provided
to each individuals to get educated. Likewise, there were many case such as “ Rhodes must fall
campaign” that emphasis on removing the statue of Cecil Rhodes from Oxford University
because it supported slave trade (Kennelley, 2020). But it is not fairly true as Rhodes has allowed
thousands of students to get education which they cannot get otherwise in other circumstances.
Finally protestor came on street of oxford to take down Rhodes statue by stating that it
imperialist value will not being accepted in any circumstances.
From the discussion of several issues, there are various suggestion that may be fruitful in
resolving the problem in better manner which can be illustrated as follows:
 The destroying statue is not solution as it will lead in destroying historical memories and
culture which can be provided to students. University should make strict policies and
procedure related to eradicating discrimination, avoiding racism practices so that each
student have equal chance as well as access to education (Mayer, 2017).
 Moreover, they needs to adapt to anti racist policies while recruitment of staff and
students as well as designing the curriculum that need to be taught to show full history of
colonial violence.
 Another solution related to removing statues is that memories of honour people that have
positive contribute toward society needs to be kept in museum while those story are
complex and mixed feeling needs to leave. As this type of memorial will need
contextualising through new and informative plaques in context of wider education. So,
these efforts will lead in saving the history of country to some extend through selective
remembrance. In addition to this nation will also move beyond its imperial mindset by
laying culture foundation to build a better world (Schulte and Frederick, 2020).

 The third suggestion from above understanding is that rather than rewriting the history
making edition in same may be more fruitful as compared to other. As making editing in
the history by removing the architecture and history that are not usual as per recent time.
While adding value that are necessary to be accept in the society so that country can grow
that is all people should have equal right to education. And there should not be any type
of racism among individuals in context of education.
CONCLUSION
From the above report it can be concluded that is history all statues, plaques and other
construction glorifying past slave owners are responsible for worst crime. So, the question
was that whether they should be destroyed or removed or should be adapted as per modern
circumstances. Therefore, from the study of above issue it has been learnt that removing the
statue is not an solution as it will also lead in loss of history of country. So, rather than
removing them they should be structured as per modern scenario in which equality and
avoidance of racism are some of the value promoted in the education system.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Chalmers, C., Mowat, E. and Chapman, M., 2018. Marking and providing feedback face-to-face:
Staff and student perspectives. Active Learning in Higher Education. 19(1). pp.35-45.
Desai, V., 2017. Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) student and staff in contemporary British
Geography. Area. 49(3). pp.320-323.
Kennelley, A., 2020. The Pursuit of Democracy: The Racial Subject and Sympathy’s Limits in
Leaves of Grass.
Malone, C.,and et.al., 2020. Embedding Academic Literacies through Growing Student and Staff
Communities. Journal of Academic Writing. 10(1). pp.98-112.
Mayer, E., 2017. Shakespeare and Black Masculinity in Antebellum America: Slave Revolts and
Construction of Revolutionary Blackness.
Mercer-Mapstone, L., Islam, M. and Reid, T., 2021. Are we just engaging ‘the usual suspects’?
Challenges in and practical strategies for supporting equity and diversity in student–
staff partnership initiatives. Teaching in Higher Education. 26(2). pp.227-245.
NIKITOROWICZ, J., 2017. Collective memory and the cultural security. Multicultural Studies,
(1).pp.35-49.
Schulte, W. and Frederick, N., 2020. Black Panther and black agency: constructing cultural
nationalism in comic books featuring Black Panther, 1973–1979. Journal of Graphic
Novels and Comics, 11(3). pp.296-314.